Picking-knife



.R. C. COTTMAN.

PICKING KNIFE.

APPLICATION man APR. s. 1920.

, Patented Feb. 22, 1921.

)H1-ommen UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD CLARK COTTMAN,'OF MERCED, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO' C. J. DROESCH, 0F MERCED, CALIFORNIA.

PICKING-KNIFE.

Specification of Letters Patent.y Patented Feba 22, 1921.

Application iled April 8, 1920. Serial No. 372,235.

To all/whom t may concer/n.'

Be it known that I, RICHARD CLARK Corr- MAN a citizen of the United States, residing at Merced, in the county of Merced and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picking-Knives, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanylng drawings.

This invention relates to picking knives and it has for its object the provision'of a knife adapted to be secured to the hand and to lie in such position with relation thereto that fruit, or the like, the stems of which are severed by the knife, are brought into position to fall readily into the hand as the stems are severed. 1

The device is particularly intended for usein picking grapes and for cutting the heads of Egyptian corn but it is manifestly adapted for use in many other relations such as for picking almost every kind of fruit and many kinds of vegetables. y

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the acco-mpanying drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tool constructed inf` accordance with the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the holding strap, in its open position.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in both ofthe figures of the drawing.

Referring tothe drawing the numeral 5 designates a iiexible web preferably made of leather though it may be of canvas or any other suitable material, said web lying in the palm of the hand when the device is in use. An extension 5a of the web carries a strap 6 and a buckle 7 adapted to be buckled about the wrist. The forward portion of the web 5 is provided with a strap 8 and a buckle 9 to be engaged about` the hand. A metal strip 10 is secured to the web 5 byfastening devices 11 and at one end is provided with a downwardly and inwardly bent portion 12 which extends across the back of the hand.'

At its opposite end the strip 10 carries a knife 13 having a cuttingedge 14. This cutting edge is inclined downwardly from the opposite corners of the knife toward the center of the cutting edge to form a concave 1n which the stem of the fruit, or the like is received.

The 4knife 1a ues Substantially a right angles to the strip 10 and with a bunch of grapes resting in the palm of the hand the knife is brought into such position that a very slight movement of the hand will bring the knife into engagement with and sever the stems of the grapes.

.lt will be noted that the web 5 lies between the palm of thehand and the strip 10 and affords a protection to the hand. The extension of portion 12- across the back of the hand aids in imparting the necessary movement to the knife in the operation of the device. The bending of the part 12 around the side of the hand renders it possible to impart a direct pull upon the strip 10 by the hand instead of through the medium ofthe web 5 as would otherwise be the case. It will further be noted that the strip 10 is extended a material distance beyond the side of the hand. Thus a very slight rocking movelment of the hand will impart considerable throw to the blade 13. A further advantage of this construction is that it ,enables the user to reach in behind vines to sever stems that could not otherwise be reached. All of the foregoing operations are effected while the fingers and the thumb are left free to receive the picked fruit.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that simple and eflicient means are herein provided for carrying out the objects of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- A device of the character described comprising in combination a flexible web including a longitudinally extending part and a transversely extending part, a transversely ldisposed strap at the rear end of the longitudinally extending part adapted to be secured about the wrist, an integral strap extension upon one end of the transversely extending part and a buckle at the opposite end thereof to coperate with said strap extension to buckle the transverse extension about the hand forwardly of the thumb, the forward edge of the transversely extending part terminating adjacent the base of the fingers when the device is secured in position, a

metal strip secured to the forward edge of the transversely extendingpart one end of which terminates in a curved portion which extends over the side of the hand and across the back of the hand and the other end of which strip is extended a considerable distance beyond the hand'and a blade at the eX- tremty of said extended part, said blade lying at an nente angleV to said strip and comprising r Haring body having a trans- 10 verse sharpened cutting edge across its eX- tremlty.

' RICHARD CLARK C()'I"l"lVIAN;V 

